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Bulk bag unloader facilitates safe handling of toxic materials |
Problem...
Several years ago, the ITT Surprenant Division in Clinton, MA, now the Surprenant
Wire and Cable Division of FL Industries, faced a major materials handling problem.
Two of the fourteen ingredients used to compound various insulations for Surprenant's
specialty conductors were toxic and had to be batched in substantial quantities.
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The ingredients were received in powder form in 50-lb bags, which were opened on
the production floor, hatched on platform scales and manually dumped into a mixer
or blender. Despite extensive use of exhaust ducting and respiratory protection
for the workers in the area, Surprenant engineers were still concerned with the
impact of toxic contamination on the environment and the threat of not meeting OSHA
regulatory standards.
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Solution...
With plans already underway to update and automate their compounding operations,
Surprenant engineers decided to obtain the two toxic ingredients in semibulk bags.
The bags are lifted by a monorail-mounted hoist and positioned in a bulk bag unloader.
The weight of the bags rests on the bed of the unloader, forming a dust-tight seal
against the ring on the discharge opening. The discharge spout or "neck" of the
bag can be pulled down into a vacuum-vented discharge chamber and opened, after
which the access hatch on the chamber is closed. Agitator pads in the unloader bed
gently massage the bottom of the bag to promote the flow of the material into the
discharge opening. A screw at the bottom of the discharge chamber feeds material
into a vacuum conveying system for transfer to a closed storage bin.
Upon demand, an auger under the storage bin delivers material at a controlled rate
into a weigh hopper on the floor below. After weighing, the material is conveyed
by vacuum to a receiver positioned over a mixer or blender on the upper floor. The
entire material path from bag to mixer is enclosed and dust tight.
Results
Because of the bulk packaging, the cost per pound of materials is lower. In addition,
handling costs in receiving, storing and discharging the materials are substantially
lower.
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Source:http://www.vac-u-max.com/bulk_bag_unloader.html |
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